Program Manager, Higher Education Engagement

Democracy Collaborative Job Opening
Program Manager, Higher Education Engagement
Washington, DC

About the Position

The Democracy Collaborative Foundation (TDC) is seeking a dynamic and facilitative leader to shepherd our Higher Education Engagement program, which supports the operations and growth of emerging Anchor Learning Network for higher education, as well as other high ed related programming. The Program Manager for Higher Education Engagement will have significant creative freedom to design a program that is sustainable and high functioning for the long term.

This position is an exempt, collective bargaining position, within TDC’s Engaged Practice division and reports to the Vice President of Engaged Practice.

About the Program

The Anchor Learning Network is a partnership with the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities to support participating institutions in implementing anchor mission strategies and to develop new resources for the field. Activities of the Network include in-person convenings, virtual working groups, peer support groups, webinars, and tools development. Areas of focus include: advancing racial equity, data collection and evaluation, senior leadership engagement, student and faculty and engagement, and collaborating with community stakeholders. The Program Manager will help support planning, facilitation, and content development in support of these activities, in addition to outreach to member and potential member institutions. The in-person convenings and university engagement require occasional program-related travel. Background information about this initiative can be found here: https://www.cumuonline.org/what-we-do/anchor-mission-initiative/.

About The Democracy Collaborative
Founded in 2000, The Democracy Collaborative (TDC) is a research and development lab for the democratic economy. We work across the spectrum from theory to action, identifying and focusing on key points of leverage and scalable impact, building actionable models and pathways that can unlock a new sense of hope and possibility.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Network weaving and cultivating meaningful relationships between and among network members
Working with the Vice President of Engaged Practice to develop and manage a budget and fundraising strategy that includes fee for service and grant-based revenue streams
Facilitate, lead, and project manage various higher education initiative groups. This includes conducting and scheduling calls, facilitating working groups, developing content, and member engagement.
Shepherding the big picture strategy and vision of the network while responding to changing priorities
Working with a small group of higher education leaders in a board style format to co-create the shape and priorities of the network
Planning and executing public convenings and conferences, including meeting design, preparing written and other material for dissemination, managing relationships with a diverse array of stakeholders, facilitating working groups, and/or presenting content. This includes two in-person convenings per year for the Anchor Learning Network.
Guiding and coordinating the work of program support staff where applicable
Conducting outreach and communication to member universities, as well outreach and partnership efforts to other stakeholders including interested universities, associations, advocacy groups, community-based organizations, etc.
Representing our work and build meaningful long-term relationships with individuals representing a variety of external stakeholders, including national higher education leaders, institutional executive, nonprofit and social service agencies, philanthropies, and neighborhood or community organizing groups
Representing the work of the higher education program and The Democracy Collaborative generally at public and private events
Providing program support in the form of contributions to long form reports, shorter research briefs and blogs, presentation materials, and other communications through writing as well as through primary and secondary research and analysis

Required qualifications:
Previous direct experience managing or coordinating multi-stakeholder collaborations, coalitions, or networks
Experience with and a strong working knowledge of anchor institution strategies
A high tolerance for ambiguity, and an entrepreneurial spirit
Fluency in concepts related to racial and gender equity as they pertain to institutions of higher education and the larger society
Strong project management skills and the ability to keep multiple complex workstreams on track
Ability to relate in meaningful ways to a wide variety of stakeholders, including the habit of active listening.
Ability to communicate concepts related to our work clearly and with a wide variety of stakeholders across the field of higher education and anchor mission/community wealth building sectors
Ability to work individually and as part of a high functioning team
A communicative work style and ability to work iteratively and collaboratively on work products
Experience with facilitation, meeting design, and/or qualitative interviews
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with exceptional attention to detail
Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and a commitment to and passion for mission-oriented work
Communicative and ability to work across a variety of people and work styles
Strong written and verbal communication skills with exceptional attention to detail

Desired qualifications:
An ideal candidate will also bring the following experience and traits to their work:
Understanding of local procurement and workforce development, worker ownership models, and community economic development
Understanding of and familiarity with higher education community engagement scholarship and the operating environment of higher education as field; experience with higher education administration
Understanding of various community economic development and anchor institution practices as it relates to the higher education sector a significant plus
Understanding of metrics and measurement a plus

Education Requirements:
A Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience is required (e.g., community development, social enterprise/business development, planning and development, event planning, higher education engagement, grassroots organizing, operations, coordination, and project management). A strong commitment to social and economic justice is required. A Master’s degree and a minimum of 4 years of work experience is preferred.

To Apply
All application materials must be submitted as one PDF document, rather than as multiple attachments. Send résumé/CV with references, a detailed cover letter regarding your interest in and desire to make a contribution to the kind of work being done by The Democracy Collaborative, and a relevant short writing sample to jobs@democracycollaborative.org. Please include “Manager, Higher Education Engagement” in the subject line.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Compensation
Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. The Democracy Collaborative salary range for a Program Manager starts at $67,500.

Job includes a generous benefits package including health care, three weeks of paid vacation per year, and an employer contribution to a 403(b) retirement plan.

The Democracy Collaborative Foundation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.